Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1887-08-11
PAGANINI OUTDONE.
PERFORMANCE or A WoLINlST WHO
HAD LOST HIS BOW
AZ the Cafe Chantsnt of Coiogne--A Sub
stitute for a Fiddle. Bow-A Visit
ing Card, a Sword, an Um-
broila, shoe.
[Rev. Edward Ahbott's Letter.l


reached the city OF Cologne by steamer
down tho Rhine at in the afternoon. This
gave me an hour before dark In which 10
Witt the great cathedral, Whose lofty spires
had been before me since twenty miles
away. Then I had an hour for dinner,
which ate with great zcst at the hotel du
Dom, nearly opposite the cathedral
Two hours and half were then left be-
fore was to takc the night express for
Brussels. What shouli ! do In that
two hours ard half The PORTER
to whom ] addressed this question
said had hotter 60 around to the cafe
Chantant for On hour. So told him to lead
the way. The cafe Chantant found 10 be
a large room OF small hall, whichever ono
might please to call it. At one end was
simple stage like n concert platform The
floor was Tiled with small square tables,
with two or three chairs at each table, Tho
chairs were nearly all filled with people,
men and women, OF . very respectable as
pect The scene was sTanSe, but orderly
and proper; and tho concert, which stayed
an hour TO enjoy, was OF high musical
order. b..
The piece on tho programme which enter
tanned me the most was a performance ON
the violin. 1t had just begun a. ! entered
the room. The performer was q handsome
young fellow, dressed In q grotesque suit Of
many colorS and he was talking away to
the audience as came In in very animated
manner. ID seemed, as nearly as could un-
derstand him, that he had lost his violin
bow, and unless he could find some substi-
tute for IL he could not do his part in the
concert. Did any Of his audience happen 70
have @ violin bow With thsIni Mol Well,
that was too b1dl What should he dot
Would anything else answer instead Of a
bowl Coulln't somebody leni him some
tbingi etc. OF course all this was
made up The object Of the violinist was TO
get bold OF some nondeseript objects with
which he could play On his violin insts1d OF
Q bow, and SO show his skill; and all his talk
was simply TO entertain his audience so
much the more. Presently somebody
handed him upa visiting carl, common,
plain visiting card. Tho violinist took II,
look at it a moment inquiringly, tried tts
edge with his finger end then applet the
edge to the strings of his instrument 1t an
swered the purpose very well, and he played
burst CT applause Then he called for
something else, to see, he said. il he could
not do little better
An officer OF the army, who was sitting
near the stage, pissed up his sword, and
with the sword for bow the clever young
violinist, after moment or two's expert
menting, played another nice tune, over
which there was more applause, loulsr than
before. Tbsn be handed the sword back to
the o.fic,r, AMI asked for something else
A lady handed up an umbrella. An um-
trel.al How could any one play ON the vio-
lin with an umbrellai But this man did.
He opened tho umbrella, and, finding a
smooth pace q few inches in length ON the
handle, went TO work with IL with ease, and
succeeded surprisingly well The applause
when re had finished was heartier than
ever, and what had been before scene OF
mere nmu -ement on the part of the audience
seemed to rise into some mething like adnira-
tion.
And now the violinist good naturally Of
fered to try once more. And what do you
think was handed up to him this timei A
shoe; an old shoel Surely he would have TO
give up now. For q moment he looked as II
he would After examining tho shoe with
care for a moment, the violini,t found q
place on the inner side, between the heel
and the toe, where the projecting sole fur
nj he'd a short, sharp edge When he had
found that, and felt it with his finger, be
looked up with a pleased expression, as II to
say. guess that will do. And do IL did: for
with the shoe for q violin bow he went on
and played tripping tune that set every
body's feet sgoing, and when he had fin.
ished filed the roonI with deafening round
of applause. With a low bow and pleasant
smile, in a moment lie was gone